Pet Peeve #2

Why is this Pet Peeve #2, you ask? Because I haven't written a blog post about Pet Peeve #1 yet! So when Pet Peeve #2 was enacted today, I needed to vent blog about it.

What is Pet Peeve #2? Hang on a second while I grind my teeth and mutter under a breath just thinking about it...

Okay. Better now.
Pet Peeve #2: People who park in front of a store/ATM/whatever - right next to the curb, usually facing the opposite direction as traffic.

They block the flow of traffic because their car is sitting in the driving lane of the parking lot.

This is usually the fire lane, too - so they block the fire lane.

They make it difficult for oncoming cars to see if it's okay to go around them.

They make it difficult for pedestrians (the people who have actually parked their cars in the designated parking spaces so that they are not in anyone's way) to see if there are any oncoming cars.

I'm not a total bitch totally unreasonable about it. I consider that perhaps they can't walk far. But isn't that what handicapped spots are for? Maybe even the handicapped spots are too far away. Hmmm. If you're sitting in your car, in front of a store, waiting for someone to come out - and that person can't walk from the handicapped spot - then they probably shouldn't be walking around in the store alone. You should drop them off, park, then go in and help them around the store. Am I right?

Or maybe you're in a hurry? I can understand about the time you'll save by parking in front of the store rather than in a spot 30 feet away. (That's not italics, that's sarcasm.)

Today, I went to Ulta. When I came out, this is what I saw:

I had to walk down the sidewalk, around the post/pillar, and then try to peek around the SUV to see if there were any cars barreling down the lane ready to mow me over. Meanwhile, Ms. Sunglasses in the SUV just keep looking through her magazine. Even right after my back surgery, Gus and I never parked like this.

There were only 4 other people in the Ulta store. None of them seemed to be having any problem getting around. None of them seemed to be in any particular hurry to get out of the store.

Are you thinking that maybe the parking lot was full? Think again...

Yep, that's right. All those spots were empty. And that was just one row. There were two more just like it. And those are just the ones right in front of Ulta. As a side note, I've never seen this parking lot so empty! LOL!

So take heed people - don't park right in front of the store, blocking the fire lane and everyone else!! Walk that extra 30 feet - your body will thank you for the exercise and the other shoppers won't feel the brief but driving desire to key your car or talk to you using sign language, if you know what I mean.